Did not ask for the upgrade - now what?

[JonJacobs]

I woke up my computer from hibernation this morning and found a nag popup telling me I need to reboot to finish the installation for the updates.

Very annoying since I didn't ask for the updates, and I have good reasons I hibernate rather than shut down.

I started powerpoint to continue a presentation I'd been working on and found I was in a new version. I had installed office 2002 when I bought my win7 machine, but now I have office 2007 (I think - I haven't found Help-About yet. I don't know how to navigate this new version).

The problem is, I didn't order an office upgrade, and when I open an app, it asks me for the product key. I don't have an office 2007 product key since I didn't buy the upgrade. I don't NEED an upgrade. Office 2002 works fine for me.

Perversely, I do need an upgrade for Outlook, but it did NOT upgrade Outlook!

Anyway, I guess this is trial-ware, and will stop working after an evaluation period.
Now what? When it stops working I need my Office 2002 back, but I can't find my Office 2002 install DVD. I misplaced it since I used it on my new machine about 3 months ago.

Okay - that was the most important question.
The second question is - how did I get this upgrade without asking for it?

Thanks,
Jon

 

[zigzag3143]

I woke up my computer from hibernation this morning and found a nag popup telling me I need to reboot to finish the installation for the updates.

Very annoying since I didn't ask for the updates, and I have good reasons I hibernate rather than shut down.

I started powerpoint to continue a presentation I'd been working on and found I was in a new version. I had installed office 2002 when I bought my win7 machine, but now I have office 2007 (I think - I haven't found Help-About yet. I don't know how to navigate this new version).

The problem is, I didn't order an office upgrade, and when I open an app, it asks me for the product key. I don't have an office 2007 product key since I didn't buy the upgrade. I don't NEED an upgrade. Office 2002 works fine for me.

Perversely, I do need an upgrade for Outlook, but it did NOT upgrade Outlook!

Anyway, I guess this is trial-ware, and will stop working after an evaluation period.
Now what? When it stops working I need my Office 2002 back, but I can't find my Office 2002 install DVD. I misplaced it since I used it on my new machine about 3 months ago.

Okay - that was the most important question.
The second question is - how did I get this upgrade without asking for it?

Thanks,
Jon

Jon

You probably have your downloads set to download and install instead of the preferred ask me first.. You can un-install the updates through add/remove but I would make sure I have a back up and a restore point before you do



Good Luck

Ken

 

[JonJacobs]

Thanks Ken,
I didn't set a restore point just before that upgrade happened, so I guess I better not try uninstall.
How do I set my downloads to the "ask me first"?

Jon

 

[Kari]

First, I'm never going to believe Windows Update changed your Office version, so IMO we'll have to look explanation elsewhere.

The most logical explanation that comes to mind is that you have two versions of Office installed on your computer. Your specs say you have an HP TouchSmart; at least here in Europe that normally comes with pre-installed Office 2007 trial. So if you have, as you say, a self installed Office 2002, you have accidentally opened your PowerPoint presentation not with that, but with this Office 2007 Trial.

This theory is also supported by the fact that the trial version of Office, pre-installed on most HP computers, does not include Outlook, and as you told, your Outlook was not "upgraded".

Kari

 

[theog]

Do your PC come with a MS Office 2007 Trial?

 

[tw33k]

First, I'm never going to believe Windows Update changed your Office version, so IMO we'll have to look explanation elsewhere.

The most logical explanation that comes to mind is that you have two versions of Office installed on your computer. Your specs say you have an HP TouchSmart; at least here in Europe that normally comes with pre-installed Office 2007 trial. So if you have, as you say, a self installed Office 2002, you have accidentally opened your PowerPoint presentation not with that, but with this Office 2007 Trial.

This theory is also supported by the fact that the trial version of Office, pre-installed on most HP computers, does not include Outlook, and as you told, your Outlook was not "upgraded".

Kari

Very well said. I agree with you 100%

 

[Tepid]

I also agree with Kari.

 

[JonJacobs]

However it got there, Windows thinks it is the only version. I right-click a file and select open with. I only have 1 version of powerpoint to select and it's 2007. And I MUST print out Handouts tonight. They HAVE to be Landscape. No prob with 2002. I can't find a way to set it to landscape for HANDOUTS in 2007. I am so thoroughly shafted. (Landscape for printing as slides, easy. But I can't do it for Handouts in 2007.)

 

[JonJacobs]

Now it's even worse. All options are greyed out on all my office products. I can't do a blooming thing. Since my office apps are the main thing I use my computer for, it is now nothing but a paperweight. Uninstalling and reinstalling 2002 is not an option. I lost my DVD sometime in the last 2 months.

 

[si8mon]

Have you tried doing a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html. Even if you didn't set a restore point, doing certain tasks such as uninstalling certain program and installing a critical windows update will automatically create a system restore point. Make sure you select a restore point before you lost office 2002.

 

[kodi]

What office program do you have in Control panel /programs and features?
Can you post a screen shot of what is in there?

 

[si8mon]

Have you tried doing a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html. Even if you didn't set a restore point, doing certain tasks such as uninstalling certain program and installing a critical windows update will automatically create a system restore point. Make sure you select a restore point before you lost office 2002.

If that doesn't work you might want to look at this Microsoft support article: Information about using 2007 Office suites and programs on a computer that is running another version of Office.

 

[JonJacobs]

How do I find restore points? How do I tell which had my office 2002?

And I still need the answer to: "how do I make Update ask permission first?"

Thanks,
Jon

 

[severedsolo]

How do I find restore points? How do I tell which had my office 2002?

And I still need the answer to: "how do I make Update ask permission first?"

Thanks,
Jon

to make update ask for permission first: type Windows Update into the start menu, and click it. Click Change Settings and then set it to whatever works for you

 

[Kari]

Open the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office. Do you see there, among other folders, these two subfolders: Office10 and Office12, or is only Office12 visible? (Notice: Office10 = Office 2002, Office12 = Office 2007).

Kari

 

[si8mon]

How do I find restore points? How do I tell which had my office 2002?

Thanks,
Jon

To find a system restore point on your computer.Search system restore in the start menu. Then open up the application.

Now read Step 6 onwards from this System Restore tutorial. Each System Restore point comes with date and time to show when it was created. Just select a date before you lost office 2002. When you do a system restore none of your documents will be affected.

 

[kodi]

Please reread posts #15 and 11 we need to know what office programs you have .
Without this we cannot advise which one to remove and this will happen again in the future if you do a system restore.

 

[JonJacobs]

My previous experience with system restore was a complete restore that wiped everything and returned to bare OS, so I approached system restore with some trepidation. But I looked up in a book how to restore to a restore point. I chose the one on June 7, after copying my key documents and the pst files. I was relieved to see that it left my files alone and put me back to office 2002. Wonderful!

I looked up in a book how to change the update settings so it would ask permission before instlling updates, and did so. With a great sigh of relief I shut down the computer.

HORRORS! While it shut down it installed 13 updates without asking permission!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I hoped they were just security patches.

When I turned the computer back on later. I had office 2007 AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't curse. I just don't. However, at this point, if someone wrote down a tirade of vehement cursing, I might just sign it.

Please, please, please, can someone tell me how to prevent those updates from being installed the next time I go back to the June 7 restore point?

Thanks,
Jon

 

[JonJacobs]

BTW, when I did my system restore and so forth, and even when I typed my last response, none of the answers to my how-do-I questions had appeared. As soon as I submitted the post about how 2007 came back again, those answers appeared, along with at least 1 post before that. Sorry folks, I didn't mean to ignore those posts, they just weren't visble to me yet. (more weirdness?)

Kari: Only Office 12 folder appears.

Kodi: In programs and features I have:
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
Microsoft Office Power Point Viewer 2007
Microsoft Office Suite Activation Assistant
Microsoft Office XP Professional with FrontPage

>Please reread posts #15 and 11 ...
Sorry, until just now those posts (along with some others) were not visible to me. I just read them for the first time. I have no idea why they were not visible to me before.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[kodi]

In programs and features click on the first Two and uninstall them one at a time
You will be left with office xp pro which is the one you want.
Not sure about the activation assistant but someone will help with that one